Chapter 4Job Order Costing

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Job Costing vs. Process CostingProcedure of Job CostingActual vs. normal Costs

Building Block Concepts of Costing SystemsThe following five terms constitute the building blocksthat will be used in this chapter:

1 A cost object is anything for which a separate measurement of costs is desired.

2 Direct costs of a cost object are costs that are related to the particular cost object and can be traced to it

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to the particular cost object and can be traced to it in an economically feasible way.

3 Indirect costs of a cost object are costs that are related to the particular cost object but cannot be traced to it in an economically feasible way.

4. Cost pool is a grouping of individual cost items.5 Cost allocation base is a factor that is the common

denominator for systematically linking an indirect cost or group of indirect costs to a cost object.

Cost Pools Accounting subdivides costs in different categories

according to traceability Assume we intend to trace factors to products. Then we

form a separate cost pool for the costs traceable to each product.

Costs that may be traced to a product go to the respective pool.

Costs that cannot be traced to an individual product are recorded in an overhead cost pool.

Should there be costs that cannot be traced to a single product but to a group of products, we may form a cost pool for the group of products.

The attempt to trace costs to products serves the desire to know something about product profitability.

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Types of Cost Pools Product cost pool: collects costs that are associated

to any set of products. Direct Product Cost Pool: a product cost pool that is

associated with a single product i.e. direct costs are traceable to a single product

Indirect Product Cost Pool: collects product costs that are not directly traceable to individual products but allocated to not directly traceable to individual products but allocated to them according to an allocation base determined as part of the accounting system

Expenses that are neither traceable nor allocated to products are associated with the time period

Matching Principle: Product costs are expensed in the period in which the revenue is realized, period-related expenses are charged against the income of the period.

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Generalization: Cost Objects and Activities Not only products for sale can be cost objects.

Also a customer, a product category, a period, a project (R&D or reorganization), an activity or a department a department

may qualify as a cost object and, consequently, have a separate cost pool.

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Cost Pools and Cost Objects

Cost Pools Cost objects

direct cost of A A

Assignment

Tracingdirect cost of B B

O

Tracing

indirect costs Allocation

If B is an activityused exclusivelyby O then its cost can also be traced to O

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Job-Costing and Process-Costing Systems

There are two basic systems used to assign costs to products or services:1 Job costing In a job-costing system, the cost object is an

individual unit, batch, or lot of a distinct product or service called a job.Process costing

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2 Process costing In process costing, the cost object is masses of

identical or similar units of a product or service.

Process costing allocates costs among all the products manufactured during that period.

1. General Approach to Job Costing

The following seven-steps approach is used to assign actual costs to individual jobs:

1 Identify the chosen cost object(s).2 Identify the direct costs of the job.3 Select the cost-allocation base(s).

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3 Select the cost-allocation base(s).4 Identify the indirect costs associated with each

cost-allocation base5 Compute the rate per unit of each cost-allocation

base used to allocate indirect costs to the job.6 Compute the indirect costs allocated to the job.7 Compute the cost of the job by adding all direct

and indirect costs assigned to it.

Example

Swing&Squeak (Sw&Sq) Limited manufactures various sporting goods.

Sw&Sq is planning to sell a batch of 25 special machines (Job 100) to Sweat & Groan Gym for $104,800.

The 7 steps:

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The 7 steps: Step 1: The cost object is Job 100. Step 2: Identify the direct costs of Job 100.

Direct material = $45,000 Direct manufacturing labor = $14,000

Step 3: Select the cost-allocation base. S&S chose machines hours as the only allocation base for linking all indirect

manufacturing costs to jobs. Job 100 used 500 machine hours. 2,480 machine hours were used by all jobs.

Step 4: Identify the indirect costs. Actual manufacturing overhead costs were $65,100. p.t.o.

Step 5: Compute the rate per unit. Actual indirect cost rate is $65,100 2,480 = $26.25 per

machine hour.Step 6: Compute the indirect costs allocated to the job.

$26.25 per machine hour 500 hours = $13,125Step 7: Compute the cost of Job

Direct materials $45,000Direct labor 14,000Factory overhead 13,125Total $72,125

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Actual Costing and Normal Costing

Actual Costing is a job-costing system that uses actual costs to determine the cost of individual jobs. Actual costing is a method of job costing that traces direct

costs to a cost object by the actual direct-cost rate(s) timesthe actual quantity of the direct cost input(s)

and allocates indirect costs using indirect costs to a cost object by using the actual indirect-cost rate(s) times the

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object by using the actual indirect-cost rate(s) times theactual quantity of the cost allocation base.

Normal Costing allocates indirect costs based on the budgeted indirect-cost rate(s) times the actual quantity of the cost allocation base(s).

Normal Costing

Assume that S&S budgets $60,000 for total manufacturing overhead costs and 2,400 machine hours.

What is the budgeted indirect-cost rate? $60,000 2,400 = $25 per hour

How much indirect cost was allocated to Job 100?

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How much indirect cost was allocated to Job 100? 500 machine hours $25 = $12,500

What is the cost of Job 100 under normal costing? Direct materials 45,000

Direct labor 14,000 Factory overhead 12,500Total $71,500

Transactions

Purchase of materials and other manufacturing inputs

Conversion into work in process inventory

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Conversion into finished goods inventory

Sale of finished goods

$80,000 worth of materials (direct andindirect) were purchased on credit.

Procurement of Materials

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MaterialsControl

80,000 80,000

Accounts PayableControl

Materials to Work in Process

When materials go to the production space they add to Work in Process

Materials costing $75,000 were sent to the manufacturing plant floor. $50,000 were issued to Job No. 650 and $10,000 to Job 651.

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$15,000 of indirect materials were issued. What is the journal entry?

Work in Process Control:Job No. 650 50,000Job No. 651 10,000Factory Overhead Control 15,000Materials Control 75,000

MaterialsControl

80,000 75,000

Work in ProcessControl

60,000

Manufacturing

T Account Representation

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ManufacturingOverheadControl

15,000Job 650

50,000

Accounting for Wage Cost

Total manufacturing payroll for the period was $27,000. Job No. 650 incurred direct labor costs of $19,000 and Job No. 651 incurred direct labor costs of $3,000. $5,000 of indirect labor was also incurred. What is the journal entry?

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Work in Process Control:Job No. 650 19,000Job No. 651 3,000Manufacturing Overhead Control 5,000Wages Payable 27,000

Wages PayableControl

27,000

Work in ProcessControl

60,00022,000

T Account Representation

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22,000

ManufacturingOverheadControl

15,0005,000

Job 65050,00019,000

Manufacturing Overhead Costs

Assume that depreciation for the period is $26,000. Other manufacturing overhead incurred amounted to

$19,100. What is the journal entry?

Manufacturing Overhead Control 45,100

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What is the balance of the Manufacturing Overhead Control account?

Manufacturing Overhead Control 45,100Accumulated Depreciation Control 26,000Various Accounts 19,100

T- Account Representation

$62,000 of overhead was allocated to the various jobs of which $12,500 went to Job 650.

Work in Process Control62,000

Manufacturing Overhead Control

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Manufacturing Overhead Control62,000

What are the balances of the control accounts?

Manufacturing OverheadControl

Work in ProcessControl

15,0005,000

45,100

60,00022,00062,000

62,000

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45,100Bal. 3,100

62,000Bal. 144,000

Job 65050,00019,00012,500

Bal. 81,500

Work in Process to Finished Goods

Jobs costing $104,000 were completed and transferred to finished goods, including Job 650.

What effect does this have on the control accounts?

Work in Process Finished Goods

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Work in ProcessControl

Finished GoodsControl

60,00022,00062,000

Bal. 40,000

104,000104,000

Sale

Job 650 was sold for $114,800. What is the journal entry?

Accounts Receivable Control 114,800Revenues 114,800

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Revenues 114,800Cost of Goods Sold 81,500Finished Goods Control 81,500

Marketing & Administrative Costs

What is the balance in the Finished Goods Control account?

$104,000 $81,500 = $22,500 Assume that marketing and administrative salaries

were $9,000 and $10,000. What is the journal entry?

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What is the journal entry?

Marketing and Administrative Costs 19,000Salaries Payable Control 19,000

Inventory Accounts and Cost of Goods Sold

Direct Materials Used $60,000Direct Labor and Overhead $84,000

Ending WIP Inventory $40,000Cost of Goods Manufactured $104,000

=

+

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Ending WIP Inventory $40,000=

Cost of Goods Manufactured $104,000Ending Finished Goods Inventory $22,500Cost of Goods Sold $81,500=

Underallocated and Overallocated CostsUnderallocated indirect costs:The allocated amount of indirect costs is lower than

the actually incurred amountOverallocated indirect costs:The allocated amount of indirect costs is higher than

the actually incurred amount

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the actually incurred amountOne possibility to balance the accounts: Write-Off to

Cost of Goods-Sold:

Cost of Goods Sold 3,100Manufacturing Overhead Control 3,100

Transactions and Flow of Costs Materials Ctl WIP Ctl Finished Goods Ctl CoGS Income St.

Wages payable Manuf. Overhead Acc. Receivable

RevenueMaterials

Procurement

Settlement of Receivables

(2)

(2)

(3)

(4)(5)

(6)

(6)

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Acc. Deprec.

Acc. Payable Cash ; Bank

Selling & Administrative

Settlement of

Payables

Settlement of Receivables

(1)

(6)

(7)

Absorption Costing Absorption Costing allocates all manufacturing costs

to individual products. The typical product is a specific manufacturing job to

which direct costs are traced. For each indirect cost pool (Overhead) an allocation base

is defined and an overhead rate (= amount in the cost pool / total units of the allocation base).

Allocation bases are traceable to products Overhead cost (in pool) allocated to the product =

= units of pool-specific allocation base traced to product pool-specific overhead rate.

Common allocation bases are e.g. direct labor costs machine hours used for the job

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Incentive Effect of Absorption Costing With Absorption Costing cost averages can even be

calculated for each product as well. Of course, this is silly, but one can do it. (Some even do.) (Joel Demski, Managerial Uses of Accounting Information, 2008, p. 64). The IFRS, e.g., require absorption cost-based unit costs for

inventory valuation (see IAS 2,10-18). Incentive Effects of Absorption Costing Incentive Effects of Absorption Costing

A manager deciding on the production volume may enhance period income by excessive production to inventory.

He thus rescues the fixed costs from being expensed in the current period. This may make sense when the production capacity is scarce, such that the inventory enables additional sales in the next period or when variable cost is expected to rise. Inventory, however, is a risky asset. It may become obsolete or destroyed before it can be utilized. Usually, therefore, the incentive to build inventory will be unwarranted.

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Two Major Cost Objects1 Products2 Responsibility centers

Overhead costs may go to separate pools according to responsibility centers for control puposes

(Cost centers, Profit centers, or other) Responsibility centers may participate in manufacturing

products or render services for other centers.

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products or render services for other centers. Responsibility Centers use to be responsible for one or

more output(s) measured by an allocation base Later on we will treat the problem of how to determine

allocation rates in the case of cycles or reciprocal services

Exercise:What is the total cost of the stay of patient Fred Adams?

Cowley County Hospital uses a job-costing system for allpatients who have surgery. In March, the pre-operating room(PRE-OP) and operating room (OR) had budgeted allocationbases of 4,000 nursing hours and 2,000 nursing hours,respectively. The budgeted nursing overhead charges for eachdepartment for the month were $168,000 and $132,000,respectively. The hospital floor for surgery patients hadbudgeted overhead costs of $1,200,000 and 15,000 nursinghours for the month. For patient Fred Adams, actual hours

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hours for the month. For patient Fred Adams, actual hoursincurred were eight and four hours, respectively, in the PRE-OPand OR rooms. He was in the hospital for 4 days (96 hours).Other costs related to Adams were:

Pre-OP-costs OR-costs In-room-costsPatient medicine $ 200 $500 $2,400Direct nursing time $1,000 $ 2.000 $ 3,000

$ 17 380

4-30 DataBudget 2003 Machining dept. Finishing dept.Manufacturing overheadDirect manuf. labor costDirect manuf. labor hoursMachine hours (allocation base for machining)

$ 10,000,000$ 900,000

30,000200,000

$ 8,000,000$ 4,000,000

160,00033,000

Job 431, 200 units of product Machining dept. Finishing dept.Direct materials used $ 14,000 $ 3,000

(allocation base for finishing)

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Direct manuf. labor costDirect manuf. labor hoursMachine hours

$ 60030

130

$ 1,25050 10

Actual amounts, end year 2003 Machining dept. Finishing dept.Manufacturing overhead incurredDirect manuf. labor costsMachine hours

$ 11,200,000$ 950,000

220,000

$ 7,900,000$ 4,100,000

32,000

4-30 Overview of the job-costing system

:

COSTALLOCATION

BASE}

Machining DepartmentManufacturing Overhead

Machine-Hoursin Machining Dept.

INDIRECTCOSTPOOL

} Finishing DepartmentManufacturing OverheadDirect Manufacturing

Labor Costsin Finishing Dept.

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COST OBJECT:PRODUCT

DIRECTCOST

}

DirectMaterials

DirectManufacturing

Labor

Indirect CostsDirect Costs

}